abasement

IPA/əˈbeɪsmənt/
IPA/əˈbeɪsmənt/

abasement — noun

1. cruel or disrespectful treatment intended to make someone feel worthless and los

1.nounC1
Definition

cruel or disrespectful treatment intended to make someone feel worthless and lose their dignity

Example

The manager's constant criticism was a deliberate abasement of his junior staff.

deliberate abasement — noun phrase used as subject complement

Public abasement of political opponents has become a common tactic in election campaigns.

public abasement — adjective + noun collocation

Common collocations
  • deliberate abasement
  • public abasement
  • systematic abasement
  • ritual of abasement
  • abasement of [someone]
Synonyms
  • humiliation

    more common and emotionally direct; focuses on the feeling of being exposed as foolish or inadequate

  • degradation

    emphasises a decline to a lower, less respectable moral or social state

  • belittlement

    focuses specifically on making someone seem unimportant through words or actions

Antonyms
  • exaltation

    the act of praising someone highly or raising their status

  • elevation

    raising someone to a higher rank or position

Grammar Patterns

the abasement of [someone]

Usage Note

This sense focuses on the action of the person who does the abasing — the subject performing the act. To distinguish from sense 2 (STATE OF HUMILIATION), check whether the sentence describes an action directed at someone else (sense 1) or a condition someone is in (sense 2).

Common Mistakes

He treated his employees with abasement.
He subjected his employees to public abasement.
'abasement' is not used directly after 'with'; use 'subject to abasement' or 'an act of abasement'.

2. a state of deep shame or loss of self-respect, especially after being treated cr

2.nounC1
Definition

a state of deep shame or loss of self-respect, especially after being treated cruelly, losing social status, or being forced into a position of weakness

Example

After the financial scandal, the once-proud banker lived in a state of total abasement.

state of total abasement — core collocation for this sense

The defeated general was forced into public abasement, kneeling before the victors on the steps.

forced into public abasement — passive construction with preposition 'into'

Common collocations
  • total abasement
  • public abasement
  • emotional abasement
  • self-abasement
  • state of abasement
  • in abasement
  • fall into abasement
  • forced into abasement
Synonyms
  • humiliation

    more widely used in everyday English; focuses on the painful feeling of being exposed in front of others

  • disgrace

    emphasises loss of reputation or honour in the eyes of a community

  • shame

    an internal feeling of embarrassment or dishonour; broader and less formal

  • degradation

    stresses a decline to a morally or socially lower condition

Antonyms
  • dignity

    the quality of being worthy of honour and respect

  • honour

    good reputation and respect from others

  • pride

    a feeling of satisfaction in one's own achievements

Grammar Patterns

in abasement

state of abasement

self-abasement

Usage Note

This sense describes the resulting condition of someone who has been abased, not the act of abasing another person. Frequently found after prepositions: 'in abasement', 'to abasement', 'into abasement'. The compound 'self-abasement' is common in religious and psychological contexts.

Common Mistakes

He felt abasement after losing his job.
He fell into a state of abasement after losing his job.
'abasement' is not typically used directly with 'feel' as an emotion; use 'state of abasement' or 'in abasement'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

Abasement, humiliation, degradation, disgrace, and shame all involve a loss of respect or dignity, but each has a different focus. Abasement is the most formal and specific of the group; it describes being brought low from a higher position, whether through external cruelty or a collapse of status. Humiliation is the most common and emotionally direct term, focusing on the painful exposure of one's weakness or foolishness in front of others. Degradation stresses a decline to a morally or socially lower condition, often with a sense of corruption or decay. Disgrace implies the permanent loss of reputation in the eyes of a community, frequently caused by one's own actions. Shame refers to the internal feeling of embarrassment or dishonour, regardless of whether others are watching. For example, a banker caught in fraud lives in disgrace; a prisoner mocked by guards experiences abasement; both feel deep shame, but the humiliation cuts more sharply in the prisoner's case because it is inflicted in public.

humiliation ↗degradation ↗disgrace ↗shame ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • state of abasement
  • act of abasement
  • ritual of abasement
  • fall into abasement

Prepositions

Etymology

Vulgar LatinOld FrenchEnglish

From Old French 'abaissement' (act of lowering), from 'abaissier' (to lower, bring low), which traces back to Vulgar Latin '*abbassiare'. The Latin root combines 'ad-' (to, toward) with Late Latin 'bassus' (low, short). The word entered English in the late 1500s and has carried the meaning of 'bringing down in rank or dignity' ever since.

First known use

15th century

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1